Throughout this learning journey in the book Walk out, Walk On, each chapter is comprised of direct experiences inside related communities. The authors, Margaret Wheatley and Deborah Frieze also observe and draw attention to major issues of the community. In each chapter there is insight to what’s going on in other communities and this leads in to a reflection portion which closes each chapter. The authors chose this set-up because they felt that the stories and experiences of communities would help the audience to feel immersed in the experiences of the people. They also felt as though their observations would bring attention to major issues that these communities have overcome or are dealing with, and provide insight to the wider society, as these are challenges that, in some way or time, relate to every community. Other communities are highlighted in order to give additional examples of shared beliefs to achieve amazing outcomes. After reading these first two journeys the reflection element is the most effective to me as it stimulated personal reflections in me.
The first guiding question that I chose to address was, what is community? To me, community is when a group of people unite and live in agreement and peacefulness with each other. The community share a common vision which allows for this harmonious backbone to their social fabric. For example, in Mexico the Mesoamerican civilization “have created and re-created their culture, adjusting to foreign pressure by assimilating some practices and spitting others back out” (p.23). These practices are what have essentially brought a great diversity of people together, which in turn relates to the meaning of community. In Brazil, we also get an immediate sense of community through the revelation of the warriors without weapons group, “sixty warriors stand in a circle...sixty warriors reach around the circle to grab the closest right ankle that hovers nearby...sixty warriors advance toward the center of the circle until you are standing shoulder to shoulder” (p51). The idea of this narrative truly demonstrates this sense of community also.
Another guiding question that sparked my interest in relation to the readings was, why is community important? In the opening paragraphs of the story in Mexico it is revealed that the Zapatista, Omlec, and Mayan/Tzotzil have come together to “live in harmony with many other ethnic groups that share our fertile highlands. Our languages are different. But we honor one another’s culture. My land and culture are rich - no matter that you tell me I am poor” (p 22). The image of this statement is truly moving because these people have not only made a meaningful connection to one another by disregarding their differences, but even more so, they have an expansive understanding of the world and the land that they live upon which highlights that community brings mutuality in all areas of community life. In Brazil, the way of the warriors invites people of all cultures to come together and make a change in global society, “do you want to play at transforming the world? Everybody wants to and can change the world! It can be done with play, with a free spontaneous spirit, without suffering, and with confidence that your efforts will make a difference” (p52). The community established by the practices of the warriors is the reason in which they are so dedicated to their mission and is what fuels them through their journey.
The final guiding question that I addressed was, how do we use information for social change? In Mexico we saw the example of the RASA team who established water pumps powered by bicycles and who aim to “connect urban gardeners throughout Oaxaca who are learning how to produce food through back-yard and rooftop gardens” (p26). The education and innovative inventions that the RASA teams have established, have not only provided breakthroughs for urban agriculture but have caused social change, as people in the community now have the “right to decide for themselves what they eat and have the ability to produce it” (p26). In the story of the warriors without weapons, one observation that I made was how information can clearly draw the separation between people within a community. “More than fifty million Brazillians - approximately 32% - live on less than $2 a day. Most of them are scattered among the slums that emerge wherever the marginalized population of Brazil can find a place to erect their haphazard shelters” (p56). This information is undoubtedly something that calls for change and in response the warriors group have really reached out to these people and areas in order to implement social change for the better.
The idea of scaling across in Mexico is one that I think would be highly beneficial if adopted within the Canal community. “Scaling across happens when people create something local and inspire others who carry the idea home and develop it in their own unique way” (p36). After being involved with the participatory research within the wider community and carrying out interviews with organization leaders, something that has become more observant to me is the small local changes these groups are trying to achieve through the services they provide to the community. They in their own way are “scaling across,” using information gathered from community members to identify social needs, and taking that information to help implement change. Other local communities within the Marin County area are also doing the same thing in their own way, which is where I draw the connection between scaling across and these community organizations. At the same time, another way I have looked at this question is by this local community fostering the idea of generating power using bicycles. Majority of the population that reside in the Canal area are low income families, and this innovative strategy could help lower power costs and other associated costs for these families, which could overall make a huge difference in their lives. When one thing is working for one family, other families will see this and buy into the idea also.
-- Taki Te Koi
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